Rediscover wonders of libraries

I recently wrote a column about gardens. If you have yours planted, there is only one other thing necessary, according to Cicero, considered to be one of Ancient Rome's greatest orators. He said, "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." What do Cicero gardens and libraries have to do with anything? Perhaps they come under the umbrella of "culture," that integrated blueprint of individual knowledge, belief and behavior that depends upon an aptitude for learning and then scattering the seeds for succeeding generations to harvest.

In other words, making sure future generations have the opportunity to learn from the past and hopefully understand the present as they look towards their future. How do we transmit this culture from one age group to another? Generations ago, it was done by word-of-mouth or stories or painting on cave walls. As we became more adept at expressing our thoughts and preserving them in a printed format, writings and books became more and more prevalent.

Today, books can be found in our homes, schools and offices, but the most prevalent locations to find books are libraries.

According to Paul Horgan, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and notable Southwestern writer, the library is "that banked fire of the intellect" and is "central to all learning." With that marvelous description of a library, one of the issues that often perplex librarians is why you and I do not make better use of libraries we have access to in our communities? Not only are they free to use, they contain an extraordinary range of materials spanning the spectrum from scholarly research to graphic novels. Take our own Tom Green County Public Library, soon to move into its new quarters, housing resources, materials, even a coffee shop as a part of the significant renovation and redevelopment of our downtown area and community as a whole.

The staff and volunteers do everything they can to meet the needs of every age group, from kids to senior citizens, and they painstakingly hold to an age-old goal of helping to create an information-literate society.

With this heady objective, making up the meat and potatoes of what they serve to all seeking to take comfort in that "banked fire of the intellect," they also find time to help patrons locate legal information in the law library, provide children's resources and activities, and locate the most current romance novel available on a compact disk. Where else could we find such great assets, with equivalent service, in one place?

Yet with all the wonders ready to spring into your hands from bookshelves, CDs, DVDs, rare materials and magazines, more correctly called periodicals, why do we still hear of criticism from those who think libraries are oversized and overrated? In San Angelo, we are fortunate to have leaders who, for the most part, support the library as one of our areas' most valuable resources. Let me share a few thoughts why our library and its staff are so important.

1. Not everything is available on the Internet. It compliments the library, but it will not replace it.

2. Our library is not just about books. It is also a source of technology with trained librarians who have the know-how to access and use it.

3. Library use has not declined. If anything the patron has become more diverse and information-savvy than ever before.

4. Librarians are irreplaceable as they guide users through a collection of highly authoritative resources.

5. Libraries can adapt to social and technological change and, like ours, continue to guide scholars and citizens towards better understanding and access to resources that represent the breadth and preservation of our culture.

6. Our library, like so many others, is the most democratic place in town. The only condition to use it is interest.

As we come closer to the reality of moving into the new library facility, it will become easier for all of us to understand that this act of change will extend its indispensable usefulness, with beauty to express its character, and imagination to extend its function. These are acts of the highest respect for the continuing search for excellence.

Bruce McLaren is a San Angelo resident and member of the Standard-Times editorial board.